I once heard a simple line that stopped me cold. As the saying goes, “We do what we want to do, and we don’t do what we don’t want to do.” At first, it made me laugh—it sounded like something someone might say to justify skipping a meeting or leaving a party early, but the more I sat with it, the more truth it carried. It’s not just a quip. It’s a principle.
Think about it. If we really want to do something-really want to-nothing stands in our way. Not the distance, not the cost, not the early morning, not the weather, not the inconvenience. If we want to go to the hunting lease, we’re up at 4:00 a.m. with our gear packed. If we want to make the game, we’ll drive four hours, stand in the rain, and never complain. If we want to visit family, we’ll figure out flights, schedules, and logistics. But when we don’t want to do something? We become artists of excuses. We find ways not to show up, or we do show up, but not with our whole selves.
That’s why the phrase, “We vote with our feet,” is so true. Our attendance, our presence, our engagement-those things tell the truth about what we value. And it’s not just about being in the room. It’s about how we’re in the room. Are we present in mind and spirit? Or are we coasting, checking the box, going through the motions?
The principle is easy to observe in students, in athletes, in co-workers, in church members, and even in family life. It’s not hard to tell who wants to be there and who doesn’t. Presence isn’t something you can fake for long. It eventually shows. And maybe the greater truth behind it all is this: what we want is one of the clearest indicators of who we are becoming.
Which brings me to a story close to my heart.
In 1993, a young woman named Shannon Sedgwick graduated from Boerne High School. I had the privilege of teaching her. She even served as a student aide, and like so many others in those halls, she had no idea what her future would hold. Shannon had a rare quality even then- she was present. Not just showing up, but truly engaged. Eyes open, heart open.
Years later, in 2020, we honored her as a Distinguished alum, and I’ll never forget what she said in her acceptance speech. She didn’t talk about her accomplishments, travels, or degrees. She simply said, “Be present.” That was her challenge. Her encouragement. Her life theme.
Her story proves the power of presence. Through a series of open doors, unexpected encounters, and hard truths, Shannon eventually found herself face to face with the global tragedy of sex trafficking. She could have looked away. She had every excuse not to get involved. She wasn’t a politician. She wasn’t in law enforcement. She didn’t have to go there. But something in her-something spiritual, something moral-said you’re already here, and now that you see this, you have to do something about it.
And she did.
Shannon went on to write a book called To Stop a Warlord, detailing her work in Uganda through the Bridgeway Foundation, where she helped fund and coordinate efforts to stop Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army – a group responsible for abducting children and committing horrific crimes. It was a risky, controversial mission. But it was rooted in presence. She had seen injustice and said, “Not on my watch.”
Shannon has stood before world leaders. She was even seated front row at her friend, President Jimmy Carter’s, funeral. But what’s more impressive than the seat she’s occupied is the path she took to get there-one marked by willingness, compassion, and action.
Her life embodies that phrase: We do what we want. And she wanted to be used. She wanted to stand up for the vulnerable. She wanted to respond to the spiritual pull of justice. And because she did, lives were changed.
That brings me to another story of someone who chose to be present in hard circumstances, Daniel.
Taken from his homeland, raised in a pagan empire, forced to learn a new language, new customs, new expectations. If anyone had the excuse to “check out,” it was Daniel. But he didn’t. He stayed engaged. He didn’t compromise his values. And when it came time to stand firm in his faith-even when it meant facing the lions-he was already prepared. Not because he suddenly got brave, but because he had been present every step of the way. He had built a life of quiet obedience and consistency, and that made him ready when the trial came.
Daniel’s story, like Shannon’s, is a testament to what happens when we stay spiritually present. When we live with attention, purpose, and integrity. When we want what’s right-even when it costs something.
So, here’s the challenge.
If we agree that we do what we want, then maybe the question is: What do we want? Do we want comfort? Convenience? Image? Or do we want impact? Integrity? Calling?
God doesn’t shame us for having wants-but He does reshape our desires when we let Him. He refines them. Daniel didn’t want the lion’s den, but he wanted to remain faithful. Shannon didn’t want to step into the fight against warlords, but she wanted to respond to the brokenness she saw. That’s what spiritual maturity looks like- wanting the things God wants.
Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And Colossians 3:23 reminds us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
So let’s want what matters.
Let’s be men and women who want to show up for our families, our churches, our students, and our community. Let’s want to listen, learn, speak the truth, and serve. Let’s be present-not just in the room, but in spirit, in attention, in heart.
Because if we want it – really want it – we’ll find a way.